Topic Theme Statement 

Big questions and ideas are addressed in the branches of the government unit. Within the Articles of Confederation and Constitution lesson, questions such as, “What issues were found in the Articles of Confederation, and did the Constitution address or not address them?” can be found. Throughout the lessons that address the judicial, executive, and legislative branches of government, big questions and ideas are asked and addressed. For example, “What powers are in place within the government?” and “How does the government handle real life situations?” The overarching idea in relation to the branches is that not only does the government have power, but power that affected and affects the lives of people, specifically, during the Civil Rights Movement (Brown & Silvestri, 2014). The government unit highlights key questions and ideas.

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The branches of the government unit will apply to the students lives of the fifth grade students. Through their social studies curriculum, Mrs. W walked the students through the American Revolution; why it happened and the result from it. The American Revolution seamlessly leads to the formation of the American government through the Articles of Confederation and later, the Constitution (Bower, 2016). In addition, the students have studied the Civil Rights Movement during Black History month. The major events of the Civil Rights Movement is the vehicle that is used throughout the lessons to give life to the branches of the government, so that students can conceptualize how the branches react in real situations that affect them (Brown & Silvestri , 2014). In the future, students will need to take a Government

class, and these lessons will be the foundations of the new knowledge that they gain. The branches of the government unit applies to both past and future curriculum.

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Expanding on the branches of government is suitable for students ages, abilities and interests. The fifth graders are very close to entering middle school. In middle school, the expectations are higher than in elementary. Within the unit, the expectations are high due to the intellectual and moral intensity of the Civil Rights Movement (Brown & Silvestri, 2014). Nevertheless, the fifth grade scholars are able to make connections with and dig deep into difficult content. In relation to interest, the students are gathering more knowledge and understanding of the world around them, how it was, is, and will be. While few students would voluntarily pursue a deeper understanding of the government, it is the duty of the teacher to equip their students to be intellectually holistic in a fractured world.  The unit is applicable to the students ages, abilities, and interests.

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Bibliography

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Bower, B. (2016). Social Studies Alive!: America’s Past. Rancho Cordova, CA: Teacher’s Curriculum Institute.

Brown, E., Silvestri L. (2014). Grassroots Activists and the Three Branches of the Government: Key Players in the Civil Rights Movement. Social Studies and the Young Learner, volume 27 (1) pp. 13-18.